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Sunday, May 10, 2009

James reached the truck and pulled the truck door open. Margo's limp body fell into his arms as he tried to keep her from falling out. He looked across the seat at the man standing at the door."What happened to her?!?!?! Why was she screaming?!""I don't know. I was coming back to check on you two and when I touched the window, she started screaming. I don't think she even really looked up at me.""She scared herself out here! It would not have taken more than you touching the truck." James was looking at the same Ranger that had passed them through earlier in the day. He felt somehow relieved to see him here. Margo began to stir in his arms. She wrapped her arms around James' neck. "It's alright baby, I have you. Everything is o.k."Margo tightened her grip on his neck, nearly choking him. "No, no!!! There was someone at the truck door, James. I heard it!""I know, Love. It was the Ranger. He is here with us right now.""I am sorry for scaring you ma'am. I wanted to check on you two and tell you we found that family. It seems like it is a good thing I did. You have a couple of flat tires.""They were that way when we came to pack. We were going to drive out to an open area and then call someone for help.""Packing? Were you going to leave? Such a beautiful place this time of year.""Not were, mister... Are! There is someone out here and we aren't staying here!""Someone out here, ma'am? What are you talking about?""A freak! Someone watching us and touching my feet! He hides in the bushes, watching everything we do!""I can assure you there is no one out here but you two right now. Maybe you just let your imagination run a...""It was not my imagination! We smelled him, I heard him laugh! Tell him, James!""We did smell something nasty out here. Like old clothes or something.""Well, I don't know what it would be. Just deer and other animals out here. I will go get my truck and give you a hand with these tires.I might have a tire that will get you out of here if you have one spare.""I do. I will start changing one now."Margo looked at the Ranger. Something didn't seem right to her. Call it her woman's intuition, she didn't care. She waited for him to leave."James, something is wrong!""What are you talking about?""The tires. He was only on one side of the truck! How did he know we had two flats?""Margo, stop it! You are going to far now. He is a Ranger and he is going to help us get out of here. Why don't you keep loading stuff and I will change the tire. Please?"Margo started putting things in the truck. She looked around as she did. "James. Why didn't he have his truck?""What?""The Ranger. Where was his truck? Why did he have to go back and get it?""I don't know. Maybe he likes walking. Maybe he parked in an open area. Please Margo, let's just finish and get out of here. You are starting to make me jumpy."Margo walked to the campsite. She looked around with her eyebrows furled. She knew she was at the right spot. She could see the little makeshift bathroom. Other than the lean to, everything was gone. The bushes moved a little beside her and suddenly, the smell was back. She nearly choked when she breathed it in. Slowly she backed up, retracing her steps back towards the truck. She was determined not to scream this time. She hoped the Ranger would be back and he could smell this thing himself. She reached the truck and whispered James' name."Are you listening to me? James? Where are you, damn it?!" Panic began to set in again. She was looking all around for James. Suddenly, the bushes behind her moved and a branch snapped. Margo screamed again. The hand on her shoulder made her scream louder."Hey, he-e-e-e-ey... it is me, for God's sake! I was using the little boy's room."Margo grabbed James and held on to him tight. "It's gone James! The only thing left is that smell!"He did not even question what was gone this time. Somehow he knew what she meant. Now, he too was beginning to worry. It had been nearly an hour since the Ranger left and James had finished the first tire. He decided they weren't waiting for the Ranger to return."Get in the truck, Margo.""What?""Get in the truck! We are getting out of here. Something is just not alright with all of this. The ranger should have been back by now. No deer stole our stuff and that smell wasn't an animal. We are leaving right now."As James was getting into the truck, he felt a sting on his neck. Slapping at it as if a mosquito had bitten him, he felt the dart sticking out of his neck. Pulling it out, he looked at Margo. Her eyes were as big as saucers and her scream seemed to be fading from his ears as quickly as it started. He looked behind her. The Rangers face seemed to have a smile on it. James' thoughts were becoming scattered as he tried to focus and stay standing. Falling to his knees, he looked down and saw the Rangers feet. "Strange" he thought. Why would a Ranger be bare-footed? None of it made sense. It was the last thing that James saw before he passed out.

I am now on HubPages

I have begun writing more on HubPages.com. There are ample reasons for being there but mainly, I can do what I love best...Write. There is an incredible number of very talented writers on the site. You are sure to find an author or two that you enjoy following their writing. I would like to think I am one of them. Please join me there for some relaxing and reading.